A total of 283 pieces from MARQ begin their first international journey to Tehran today. together with the exhibition of the National Museum of Iran, which can be visited in Alicante from March until September, which returns to its country. The two collections will be guarded by a strong security operation, as confirmed by the vice-president of the Provincial Council and deputy for Culture, Julia ParraHe stressed that "this is a great opportunity to consolidate the MARQ as an international benchmark. This marks the beginning of a period of openness and recognition".
The 283 pieces that will make up the exhibition 'Alicante. Treasures of the MARQThey will travel by land to Amsterdam and from there they will be flown to Tehran, where they are scheduled to arrive on 12 September. Four MARQ archaeologists will participate in the exhibition, which will remain at the National Museum of Iran from its inauguration on 22 September until 8 April 2020..
The technical director of MARQ, Manuel OlcinaHe explained that all the technicians of this institution have participated in the selection of the pieces following a museographic proposal that goes from the Bronze Age to the Modern Age. "The selection and all the packing tasks required 11 days of intensive work," he explained.
The MARQ exhibition in Iran has the authorisation of the central government, through the Board for the Export of Cultural Heritage of the Ministry of Culture, and the Generalitat Valenciana. It has also received the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the close collaboration of the Spanish Embassy in Iran. "Thanks to this joint work we will see the first exhibition of a Spanish museum in such an important centre for archaeology as the National Museum of Iran, a recognition of the trajectory of the MARQ", thanked Julia Parra.
The handling of the objects, as well as the packaging, transport, postage, security and "nail by nail" insurance, including coverage for terrorism and war, comply with all the protocols and regulatory requirements demanded for this type of exhibition productions abroad.
The MARQ exhibition is the first by a Spanish museum in Iranian territory and the fifth by a European museum, after the British Museum (1972), the Vatican's Capitoline Museum (2015), the Louvre (2018) and the Drents Museum (2019). It will be inaugurated on 22 September by Julia Parra and the Spanish ambassador to Iran, Eduardo López BusquetsThey were accompanied by a delegation including the managing director of the MARQ Foundation, José Alberto CortésThe exhibition was presented by the technical director of the MARQ, Manuel Olcina, and the director of exhibitions of the museum in Alicante, Jorge Soler.
'Alicante. Treasures of the MARQThe exhibition includes mostly ceramics, although there are also large groups of metal, stone and tiles that have been installed in wooden boxes made specifically for the transport of this exhibition. The pieces are originals, with the exception of four replicas: the Roman hand from Lucentum, the Lady of Elche, the tombstone commemorating the foundation of the Ribat mosque in Guardamar and the lead sheet from Serreta with Greco-Iberian writing. The boxes, lined with polystyrene foam, are fireproof and have also undergone a special treatment against parasites.
The exhibition has been organised in return for Iran. Cradle of CivilisationsThe exhibition, a rich representation of Iran's historical and archaeological heritage, was on display at the Provincial Archaeological Museum of Alicante from 14 March to 1 September and was visited by more than 100,000 people.
